


You Set My Soul Alight

by thekeyholder



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Firefighters, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 13:59:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9823655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekeyholder/pseuds/thekeyholder
Summary: Oswald has been pining for Jim Gordon since the first moment he's set his eyes on the handsome firefighter. Will his famous pastries be enough to seduce Jim?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my entry for Gobblepot Week 2017 - Free Day. I know AUs are not that popular in this fandom, but I couldn't get Jim as a firefighter out of my head, and grndmstrexo encouraged me to write it, so this is dedicated to her. :)
> 
> I'm always happy to sneak in bits of Hungarian culture into fics, so you'll find links to the awesome pastries mentioned in the story. Title taken from [Muse's Supermassive Black Hole](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgvLej8ln2w).
> 
> As always, much thanks to skeleton_twins for the cheering and Nekomata58919 for the beta!

It was past six thirty in the morning and Oswald Cobblepot was hurrying towards his bakery. He didn’t need to be there as he had enough employees to take care of the shop, but it was a known fact that he liked to serve a certain very handsome firefighter himself. Whenever he was on duty, James Gordon would walk into the Bäckerei, and buy some pastries for breakfast. Sometimes he’d come earlier and eat there while talking to Oswald, other times he’d just wave with a smile.

 

Either way, Oswald liked to be there to see him, but that morning he was already late because he helped Mrs. Kovacs find Kormos, her striped tabby cat. Unfortunately, his limp prevented him from going faster. Even so, he was out of breath by the time he arrived.

 

“Morning, Victor!” Oswald greeted the man behind the counter.

 

“Morning, boss! Sorry, he’s already left. He said they’re going to a school today for some presentation, so he couldn’t wait.”

 

“That’s alright. Thank you. You can go home, Victor, I’ll take over.”

 

“You’re sure?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Oswald helped out his other employee, Butch, when there were no clients at the front. He left the kneading to Butch since he had strong arms, though of course, Oswald had done it himself at the beginning when he opened the bakery with his mother five years prior. Now he preferred to work at the counter or prepare the pastries. His mother too would come in most days, just because she loved baking so much. Certain customers would only buy the products she’d baked, especially the special holiday pastries like [kalács](http://www.savoringitaly.com/2013/04/kalacs-rolled-walnut-bread.html).

 

Before noon, Oswald saw the firetruck return ‒ the department was on the same street as the bakery, so he always knew if the guys were called somewhere. The town was pretty calm and didn’t have many cases of fire. Oswald knew the firefighters would be having lunch, so he also went home to eat with his mother. Unfortunately, she too knew about Oswald’s crush, and by proxy, probably the whole town.

 

“Did you see him today, Schatz?”

 

“No. I missed him,” Oswald sighed as he set the table.

 

“You have to make him a [cherry pie](http://image.hotdog.hu/user/hUNCUTKABABY/magazin/meggyes-pite.jpg) with mama’s recipe. He’ll love it for sure,” his mother said, and kissed his cheek.

 

“I don’t think he likes me,” Oswald said quietly.

 

“Please. Why else would he come to the bakery on his free days too?”

 

Oswald blushed; that was actually true. Jim often came in, even though he lived half an hour away from the bakery. He’d say that he was addicted to Oswald’s pastries. But wouldn’t he say something if he liked Oswald?

 

After lunch, Oswald’s mother went back with him to the bakery, because the mayor’s wife had commissioned a cake for the birthday of her grandson. After an hour, the various cake layers were in the oven. Oswald was getting out the ingredients for the chocolate cream, when his mother came up with an errand.

 

“Oh, Oswald… I’ve just remembered that Lydia asked me to make the cake with Belgian chocolate. Would you mind going to the supermarket and get me some?”

 

“But mother, just send-”

 

“I’m sure Gabe will help me, right?”

 

“Certainly, Mrs. Kapelput.”

 

“What a polite young man.”

 

Oswald knew what this was about, his mother’s intentions were so transparent. He had to pass the fire department to get to the supermarket. On his way, he didn’t see anyone outside, so he hoped that he could buy the chocolate and get out of there.

 

However, he had no such luck. When Oswald left the supermarket, he could already hear the rowdy firefighters. He breathed in, and walked slowly. As he peered inside their yard, he could see that some of the guys were exercising or playing basketball. Jim was there too, in a white undershirt, his biceps flexing as he was lifting weights. Oswald wondered if the sun had suddenly become much stronger, for he felt his cheeks blush so hard.

 

In that moment, Jim looked up, his eyes widening when he saw Oswald. He raised his arm and waved at the baker, smile just as brilliant as a summer day. Oswald almost walked into a pole, distracted as he was by the defined arm and Jim’s golden hair. He waved back, embarrassed, and left cursing his clumsiness. If Jim didn’t think of him as that awkward loser from the bakery, he surely did now.

 

Jim worked 24-hour shifts and then got two days off, so Oswald only went to work in the afternoon the next day, knowing that Jim wouldn’t make an appearance in the morning. His usual customers at that time were old ladies who came to have dessert. Unexpectedly, Jim also stepped into the bakery, taking off his headphones as he spotted Oswald behind the counter.

 

“Hi, Jim! What a lovely surprise!”

 

“Hey. I was jogging in the park, thought I’d drop by, see if you have any [apple strudel](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rHZQy3yBhKE/TPkkVjWm0sI/AAAAAAAAATE/1GfFQ70h9QY/s1600/AppleStrudel_2.jpg) left,” Jim said with a smile.

 

“Of course, there’s always some for you.”

 

Oswald and Jim talked about all kinds of things while both had a piece of strudel. Oswald noticed that Jim was fiddling with the napkin, and not really meeting his eyes. He seemed nervous about something, but Oswald wasn’t sure if it was his place to ask what was wrong.

 

“Hey, Oswald, I meant to ask something…”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Would you…”

 

Unfortunately, right in that moment Oswald was called into the kitchen. When he returned a couple of minutes later, Jim seemed ready to leave.

 

“What did you want to ask me?”

 

“Oh, uh… it’s not important,” Jim smiled, but he seemed resigned suddenly. “Have a lovely evening!”

 

“Thanks, you too,” Oswald said, sighing so dramatically that the old ladies inside looked at him with pity.

 

After closing shop, Oswald went home. He cooked dinner with his mom, then watched TV with her before retiring to his room. He read a novel, and chatted with some friends online, but his thoughts invariably returned to Jim. As he lay in his bed, he remembered the first time the firefighter came into the bakery, together with the head of the department, Mr. Harvey Bullock, whom was a loyal customer of Oswald’s bakery. Even on that first day, he was so lovely to Oswald, and asked him what he’d recommend.

 

Then came the numerous newspaper articles hailing Jim as a hero, performing miracles. Oswald could see how he was an everyday hero as well, helping people in the neighbourhood with moving their furniture or retrieving lost kittens from tall trees. Oswald sighed and went to sleep with Jim’s smile in his mind.

 

In his dream, Oswald was sitting around a campfire with Jim, just huddled together in silence. Then suddenly the smell of burning wood got too strong, but he couldn’t move.

 

“Oswald! Oswald, wake up!”

 

“Wha-what?”

 

“Come on, we have to go,” Mrs. Kapelput said exasperatedly, dragging Oswald out of the bed. “There’s a fire somewhere in the building.”

 

Oswald was suddenly very awake; he wondered how the burning smell didn’t wake him. When they got out of the apartment, their floor looked alright ‒ the fire wasn’t there. Some of their neighbours, mostly elderly people, were hurrying downstairs as well, and Oswald made sure that everyone got outside safely. There were already some worried people outside.

 

“Did anyone call 9-1-1?” Oswald shouted.

 

“Yes, the firefighters will be here in a few minutes.”

 

“So terrible, so awful,” Mrs. Kapelput whined, the old ladies joining her.

 

Oswald rubbed her back comfortingly, until he saw a familiar figure, dangerously close to the building.

 

“Kormos! Little kitty, where are you? Kormos!” Mrs. Kovacs was shouting.

 

Oswald hurried to the elderly woman whose voice was becoming ever more desperate.

 

“Mrs. Kovacs, come, you mustn’t be this close to the fire.”

 

“Oswald, Kormos escaped again. He surely remained inside, I forgot him inside, oh god… I need to go after him.”

 

“No, absolutely not. I’ll go in,” Oswald said, and as quickly as his limp allowed it, he hurried inside the building.

 

He heard his mother calling him, but he couldn’t waste any seconds. Inside, the smoke was much thicker and it already burned Oswald’s eyes who hurried to the second floor, to Mrs. Kovacs’s apartment.

 

“Kormos?” Oswald called out, the smoke making him cough.

 

Meanwhile, the firefighters had arrived as well. Mrs. Kapelput and Jim saw each other and met halfway.

 

“Jim, so good that you’re here!”

 

“Where’s Oswald? He got out okay?”

 

“He ran back. He went back after a cat.”

 

Jim cursed. “Which floor?”

 

“Second, the first door on the right. Please get him out.”

 

“I will,” Jim promised, explained the situation to Chief Bullock, then he ran into the building to the indicated floor.

 

“Kormos!” Oswald shouted. “Kormos, please, come out. I wish Jim were here.”

 

That was when he heard a faint meowing from behind the couch. Oswald knelt down and retrieved the frightened tabby.

 

“It’s okay, kitty, it’s okay. I hope we can get downstairs somehow.” He tried to stifle a coughing fit.

 

Just then, the entrance door was slammed open, and Kormos jumped from Oswald’s hands, and disappeared on the stairs. Luckily, it was Jim standing there, and Oswald had never been happier.

 

“Oswald! Come on, we need to get out of here!”

 

The baker was about to hook his arm through Jim’s, but the firefighter swooped him in his arms instead, smiling at Oswald’s confused expression. “It’ll be quicker.”

 

So that was how the entire neighbourhood saw Jim carrying Oswald bridal style, Oswald’s arms tightly wound around Jim’s neck. He carried him directly to the ambulance where the paramedics were already waiting for them. Mrs. Kapelput was hurrying in their direction.

 

“Thanks, Jim,” Oswald said quietly.

 

“Don’t ever do that,” Jim scolded him, taking off his helmet angrily. “You could have died in there!”

 

Oswald was shocked by the firefighter’s tone, his chest feeling constricted.

 

“How are you? Can you breathe normally?” the doctor asked, and Oswald just nodded with tears in his eyes, watching Jim go to the fire truck.

 

“Oswald, Liebchen! Are you alright?” Mrs. Kapelput was stopped by the doctor before she could launch herself at Oswald, but she stayed close by, watching the investigation with keen eyes.

 

The paramedics concluded that Oswald was alright: he’d just need to rest. He accepted gratefully the blanket that he was given, his mother kissing the top of his head, telling him how glad Mrs. Kovacs was when Kormos made it out safely.

 

“I called your Aunt Kati, we can go to hers to sleep,” Mrs. Kapelput announced.

 

“Or we could go to a hotel,” Oswald murmured, trying to avoid his aunt’s typical interrogation about his unsuccessful love life.

 

“Why should we spend our money when we can stay there for free? Maybe we can return tomorrow.”

 

They both looked at the apartment building: the fire had been put out not long ago, the residents, curious onlookers and reporters milling about. Just then Jim and one of his colleagues exited the building. Oswald’s eyes met Jim’s, but the baker looked away.

 

“I can see Mr. Weber there, I wanted to ask him something,” Mrs. Kapelput said, but Oswald noticed Jim approaching, so he knew this was another one of his mother’s pretexts.

 

Jim opened his heavy coat, then took it off, remaining in a very tight white t-shirt. Oswald couldn’t help staring at his arms yet again.

 

“Hey,” Jim spoke quietly. “I’m so sorry for yelling at you. I was just… scared.”

 

“Scared?”

 

“That I’d lose you.”

 

Oswald looked up, the intensity in Jim’s eyes making him swallow.

 

“I think I’ve been very obvious, but in case you didn’t notice, I really like you,” Jim admitted, wiping his face and smearing a bit of soot across it.

 

“You do?!” Oswald squeaked.

 

“Yes… when I came to the bakery the other day, I wanted to ask you out, but I chickened out. I know it’s not the best time now, but would you like to go on a date with me sometime?”

 

“You mean it?” Oswald asked hopefully, grabbing Jim’s hand.

 

“Of course.”

 

“Then yes, I’d love to!” Oswald thought his face would crack from smiling so wildly. He reached out and wiped away the blackness from Jim’s face, the firefighter’s expression softening.

 

“Thank you again, Jim.”

 

“Just doing my job.”

 

The blanket slid from Oswald’s shoulder, and Jim snorted at the sight of the baker’s pajamas with penguins.

 

“Cute pjs.”

 

“Shut up.” Oswald put the blanket back on his shoulders, but he smiled.

 

“Do you have a place to go? If not, I can take you to mine, it’s not big, but -”

 

“Thank you, but mother already talked to her sister. We’ll be okay.”

 

“Gordon, you ready? We’re done here,” one of the firefighters shouted.

 

“Just a sec,” Jim shouted back. “Okay, I have to go, but I’ll come by the bakery one of these days, and then we can discuss about the date.”

 

“Sure. I’ll be waiting for you.”

 

Jim leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Oswald’s cheek, then hurried to the firetruck. Oswald blushed; when he looked up he noticed his mother and her friends all looking at him with knowing smiles, which made him blush even more. Nosy people. He didn’t care, though; he finally had a date with Jim Gordon, the bravest and most handsome firefighter in the city.


End file.
